Toms River Moves Trick-or-Treating Date To Avoid Parade Conflict

If you are out and about in Toms River on Friday, Oct. 30, beware: all manner of ghosts, goblins -- and probably a whole lot of presidential candidate look-alikes -- will be wandering the streets.

That’s because Toms River officials have decided to move trick-or-treating in the township to the night before Halloween, to avoid a conflict and overlap with the 77th annual Toms River Halloween Parade, sponsored by Toms River Fire Company 1.

“This was a mutual decision made by the township, Toms River Fire Companies and the Toms River Police Department,” Mayor Thomas Kelaher said in a news release announcing the change.

The township does not officially sanction or promote trick-or-treating, “since this is an individual parental decision,” Kelaher said, but he urged parents to keep tabs on their children’s activities on Oct. 30.

“The main concern the day before Halloween is extra children and families walking around. Drivers are advised to keep a lookout for pedestrians through the evening,” he said.

Police Chief Mitch Little said there is no official start and end time for trick-or-treating, but suggested that those who choose to go out do so between 2 p.m. and 9 p.m.

“We moved trick-or-treating back to October 30th so that residents would be free to come downtown and enjoy the parade on Halloween night. We hope to see a large turnout this year,” said Carl Weingroff, parade chairman.

For parade information, visit http://www.trfc1.org/halloween.html.